So things are not pleasant over at the Washington Redskins ticket office these days (Motto: We’ll get to your call when we damn well feel like it). On Wednesday the WASHINGTON POST revealed apparent shenanigans, in which Redskins personnel were selling tickets straight to scalpers, while a 100,000-person waiting list did without. (See photo). And today, this:
If your grandmother can’t pay for her Redskins tickets, Daniel Snyder will sue her and throw her out on the street.
That may be somewhat hyperbolic, but the WASHINGTON POST comes through today with another story of how the Redskins are allegedly screwing their fans.
Although attendance remains steady and television revenue continues to be enormous, NFL teams still survive primarily on positive PR and goodwill; and the Redskins have taken a beating in both departments this week. Pat Hill, a 72-year-old grandmother who has been a Redskins fans since 1962, recently watched her real estate business go into the tank due to the economy, and now can’t afford her home mortgage, let alone her 10-year Redskins ticket contract. So the team sued her to get the money.
Now, Hill says, her beloved Redskins are forcing her into bankruptcy.
Last year, Hill’s real estate sales were hit hard by the housing market crash, and she told the team that she could no longer afford her $5,300-a-year contract for two loge seats behind the end zone. Hill said she asked the Redskins to waive her contract for a year or two.
The sales office declined.
On Oct. 8, the Redskins sued Hill in Prince George’s County Circuit Court for backing out of a 10-year ticket-renewal agreement after the first year. The team sought payment for every season through 2017, plus interest, attorneys’ fees and court costs.
Hill couldn’t afford a lawyer. She did not fight the lawsuit or even respond to it because, she said, she believes that the Bible says that it is morally wrong not to pay your debts. The team won a default judgment of $66,364.
Through it all, she said, she “still loves the Redskins.”
For their part, the Redskins say that they do try to work out deals with fans who have lost their jobs and can’t afford their ticket plans. But it’s done on a case-by-case basis, and not everyone gets a deal.
But one Redskins fan, 62-year-old James Nesbitt, said that he was downright swindled; accusing the Redskins of changing his contract after he signed it.
Nesbitt said that for years, he had general admission seats in the upper deck while waiting to move to the lower bowl, which is closer to the action. In 2006, he said, the team offered him a deal: Sign up for two years of club seats, and we will move you to the lower bowl afterward.
After the first year, he said he received a contract that he was told was a “renewal.” Because the contract came in December 2007, he said, he signed it, thinking that it was for the next season and overlooked that it said 2009.
The term sheet contained three boxes: Six years, eight years and 10 years. He said he did not check any of the boxes.
Nesbitt told The Post that his secretary saved a copy of his original contract, which had been faxed to the Redskins. It is signed, and no box is checked.
The Redskins ultimately offered a compromise: If Nesbitt bought one more year of club seats, he could have lower bowl seats in 2010 if they became available. Nesbitt agreed. He avoided a lawsuit but is unhappy about the whole situation.
“I feel I was cheated and that the Redskins were highly disingenuous,” Nesbitt said.
As NFL stadiums become more and more grandiose, and seat licenses become major financial commitments — your parents probably paid less for their first home than what a high-end seat at Cowboys Stadium goes for — these kinds of stories are going to pop up every day. I can see a team suing a business for reneging on a corporate ticket deal, but suing individual fans? Photos like the one above have to by Snyder’s ultinate nightmare … I mean besides Zorn starting Colt Brennan in the opener.
6:16 pm on September 3rd, 2009
Normally, especially in non-commercial situations, a party claiming damages under an allegedly breached contract has a duty to mitigate its damages — that is, lessen damages to the extent reasonably possible. Here, the Redskins could obviously resell the seat to someone else. So the team’s actual damages should be the difference between the value of the old, breached contract and the value of the new contract. If the new contract is for more money, factoring in the legal fees and other costs, there are really no damages, or perhaps merely nominal damages. Mrs. Hill’s attorney would no doubt have raised this point had she been able to afford one. Perhaps Maryland law doesn’t require mitigation in this situation, but that would surprise me.
6:45 am on September 4th, 2009
Regardless how things may seem these days, it is blatantly obvious to me that the NFL as a whole is trying to get completely rid of the average fan. Led by that communist Jerry Jones, it now costs more to go to a game than I ever thought possible. If you need further proof, look at the cost of a Super Bowl ticket which is now $1000 to sit basically on the moon. I can understand and appreciate how costs have risen over the years and pro football is a business but to charge a riduculous fee to have the “privilege” to pay a huge amount to see a game in person is at least very outlandish. My wife and I have Falcon season tickets, something we’ve always wanted and finally were able to acquire in 1998. The cost was $41 per seat and you received a $4 per seat discount when purchasing season tickets. The cost was $740 for two seats……a deal considering where we sit which is five rows from the field. Those seats now cost $90 and there is no discount. I realize my wife & I make the choice to purchase these seats but where will the raping of “Mr. Average Fan” stop??
10:47 am on September 4th, 2009
Has Dan Snyder brought anything positive to the Redskins the NFL except for ways to squeeze more money out of the fan by any means necissary? people jump all over jerry jones (deservedly so) but this guy is exibit 1.b on whats wrong with the NFL. The guy just reaks of scumbag through and through. I really do feel bad for Redkins fans, as very passionate goup of loyal fans, fo having such an ass hole own their team.
11:06 am on September 4th, 2009
Snyder should be forced to sell the team. He is a complete disgrace to the NFL as a whole.
Secondly, anyone who is still a Redskins fan might as well push their loyalties to another team (or even the Nationals). No team should ever treat their fans in such a manner. This is sad, pathetic, and downright shameful.
11:32 am on September 4th, 2009
Jerry Jones is a communist. Wow, that is a good one. It is obvious by your post that you do not know what a communist is.
11:59 am on September 4th, 2009
Another example of the garbage the National Felons League is doing. BOYCOTT THE NFL!!!
12:07 pm on September 4th, 2009
The only way prices are going to go down is if people quit going, look at Nascar, the stands aren’t full so some tracks have already dropped the prices on some seats, or are offering deals, to pull in more customers.
12:12 pm on September 4th, 2009
Hey Kevin, I call ‘em like I see ‘em. It’s my opinion and I respect your right to disagree. The fact is he feel as though he’s immune to any/all what the NFL stands for if he doesn’t agree with it. In my mind that’s communistic.
12:17 pm on September 4th, 2009
And for what it’s worth, here’s one of the definitions of a communist: ‘one held to engage in left-wing, subversive, or revolutionary activities’. If that’s not Jerry Jones I don’t know what is.
7:39 am on September 9th, 2009
This is really very bad .Anybody has no right to act to somebody like this especially when person is old.They must say sorry to her.
8:13 am on September 9th, 2009
This very bad. This type of act must be punishable and polish should take strict action against people who doing this dirty thing.